New Haven Independent: Wooster Square Keeps Out Used Cars

Wooster Square Keeps Out Used Cars

by Allan Appel | March 20, 2008 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

nhimarch18%20013.JPG More than a dozen neighbors such as Andy Ross and 95-year-old Bill Rossi (pictured) came out to urge a “no sale” vote for a car lot on the periphery of New Haven’s Little Italy.

The neighbors spoke of their love for their historic district before the City Plan Commission Wednesday night. Triggering their adoration were plans of a local businessman to open a used car lot at the corner of Olive Street near Water.

Jeff Hanson (in the middle of the photo) had already received permission from the Board of Zoning Appeals to open up his used auto lot on the space by the Hacienda restaurant, across the street from senior housing on Olive. The zoning board granted what’s called a special exception.

All he needed before opening was what’s usually a pro forma approval, a Certificate of Approval, from the City Plan Commission. At Wednesday night’s meeting, the appearance of angry neighbors — then the contagious skepticism of a frustrated commission member — ended up killing the plan, at least for now.

Before Wednesday night’s meeting, the City Plan Department staff wrote a report for the commissioners to consider. It called for approving the used car lot, but with special conditions.

Those conditions included having only five cars out on the lot for sale at a time, six spaces removed from this area for employee and customer parking beside a large adjacent undeveloped lot, and flood lights that don’t disturb the neighbors.

And Hanson promised to operate only between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, 8 to noon on Saturdays. Although he’s known for being in the towing business, he also promised not to use the site for that purpose. So the City Plan staff had recommended “approval with conditions.”

Then the neighbors weighed in, en masse.

Andy Ross turned in a petition with 65 names and ten emails, which he said he gathered within two hours when he heard about the meeting. Ross declared that Hanson’s use of the property would be inappropriate for Wooster Square. He said the area needs retail stores or a place to sit and have a coffee for seniors and for the students at High School in the Community and the soon to be completed Metropolitan Business Academy, both on Water Street.

nhimarch18%20014.JPG Wooster Square Alderman Michael Smart and schools Superintendent Reginald Mayo also weighed in with letters against the plan, as did residents like Jeff Nelson and Kathy Dunnigan-Mendez, and Cordelie Benoit (in the back).

“Let’s remember that with Grand Avenue closed [off by the bridge by the firehouse], the bus and other traffic is already horrendous. Bringing cars and tow trucks is wrong. Likewise, new school construction will clog the area further.

“And let’s remember that Olive Street is the connector between Wooster Square and Union Station. It’s a walking route. New Haven has just won some honors for being the one of the best walking cities in the country. It’s against the mayor’s vision of how the city should develop to dump such a business there.”

“Something Green”

Residents repeatedly returned to the theme of wanting development, but the right development. One speaker called for a store like Nica’s on Orange Street. Peter Webster said the edges of historic neighborhoods, such as this location, “need to be reclaimed with something green and alive, and this will be an example of a kind of love that can spread to the other struggling neighborhoods of the city.”

Talk of used car sales brought out poetry in the neighbors. Bill Rossi (pictured above), who served on Tinian Island with the naval combat engineers in World War Two, said he’d left and returned to New Haven many times in his life, but he’s always come back. “It’s such a blessed place,” he said, “between two mountains, with so much going on. Let’s not let it go to rot in this way.”

The technical situation, however, was in Hanson’s favor even if he was outnumbered and not a soul spoke on behalf of the project except himself. Technically, the BZA had already granted this use.

nhimarch18%20007.JPG “So what then,” asked a frustrated Richard Miller, the city engineer who sits with the commissioners but doesn’t vote, “is our function if BZA has approved the site for used cars?”

A staffer explained to him that the commissioners, in approving the location of the parking and so forth, were functioning as an agent for the state Department of Motor Vehicles, because it’s an auto business. Miller expressed his frustration with not being able to make a judgment that might ameliorate some residents’ concerns based on the inadequate plans Hanson had submitted.

“Here, it looks like the entrance is on Water, and here on Olive. These plans are really crap. We’re really being asked to work with sketches that are horrible,” Miller said.

He expressed concern that within the limited scope of what they might do to make the site more palatable for neighbors, they couldn’t do that without better, more detailed, to-scale plans. “These plans just don’t present information the public has a right to know,” he said.

Neighbors also wanted to know how trustworthy Hanson was going to be about restricting the towing business that he’s in in relation to the site. Hanson basically replied: Trust me. Ross answered him: “I’ve been in the auto business in the past, and we both know you don’t make a living selling only five cars.”

Miller’s skepticism became contagious among the voting members. Several expressed being uncomfortable with the documents and their lack of logic.

nhimarch18%20008.JPG Commissioner Elijah Huge (at right in photo) said the drawings gave no indication the intended use would work. Roland Lemar (left in photo), the commission’s aldermanic rep, declared the document below standard.

By unanimous vote, the commissioners denied the request without prejudice, which meant that Hanson could reapply with documents, Miller suggested, prepared by an engineer.

Hanson and a companion left the City Hall meeting rooms so quickly, a reporter was unable to ask for a reaction.

Adding to the mystery were some of the Wooster Square boosters who said they clearly remembered the “special exception” had been denied in a close vote at the Board of Zoning Appeals last month. When one of them, who preferred to remain anonymous, double-checked with the BZA clerk, she found that the vote tally was for approval, not denial, as seemed to have been the case during the public voting. Thus, it advanced to the city commissioners Wednesday. Many residents want to know what gives with the BZA’s role in the matter?

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Comments

Posted by: cedarhillresident | March 20, 2008 9:40 AM

Great Article
But what troubles me is the last paragraph.... am I reading that right???? Was this pushed through by the BZA?? How scary is that...and how many other things have gotten that push??? And is that ethical?? Does a move like that meet our NEW ethics rules??

Posted by: AT | March 20, 2008 9:55 AM

Only five cars for sale at a time?
This used car salesman trully cannot be trusted.

He operates a towing business yet he can swear that he will never use this lot as an overflow during the summer when the towing business is booming.

It is good to see that people are not fooled by the man. Those of you who have not signed the petition do so.

Posted by: Cheri | March 20, 2008 10:34 AM

I agree with the residents of Wooster Square...this area should have something the community can use, walk to, bring people together. A used car lot has no business in the residential areas of downtown New Haven, that's what the Boston Post Road is for. I can't believe it was ever even considered.
This city is full of so many frustrating contradictions...Please keep us posted on this, as although I don't live in Wooster Square, I will gladly attend any meeting and sign any petition to stop this lot from going up.

Posted by: robn | March 20, 2008 1:40 PM

The city needs to do a better job at stiching neighborhoods into downtown... especially successful, high taxpaying neighborhoods like Wooster Square. The railroad lines make this very difficult and reduce the Wooster/Downtown pedestrian connections to Chapel, Water and Olive. The more that this threshhold area feels like an after hours no-mans land, the worse the connection will be. Ergo, zone in mixed use, including residential to keep eyes on the street. Car dealerships belong on the outskirts, not in sensitive threshhold areas.

Posted by: pedro | March 20, 2008 2:44 PM

Historically, Wooster Square WAS knit close to the city, even with the train tracks. State street had many buildings on both sides, and Olive Street ALSO had many properties.
In the 1950's and 60's all that was torn down in the name of progress.
The city really does need to try to tie Wooster and downtown together. The payoff would be fantastic for everyone involved.

They are already moving in the right direction with several infill developments planned, restoring buildings to the "track" side of state street, but this should defintely be seen as a priority for the city. There is a wealth of opportunity to develop lots between Wooster and downtown that would increase the density of the city, increase the tax base and help soften the current hard edge of state street as the edge of downtown.
Mayor Destefano wants to expand the concept of downtown to include other areas, and I think that state street and olive street are FANTASTIC areas for responsible development!

Posted by: wes on wooster | March 20, 2008 6:11 PM

I am a new resident to the Wooster Square Neighborhood (a year in August). I moved up from Oklahoma where I went to high school and college, but returned to CT where I spent my childhood. It thrills me that there is such a sensitivity to the community and land uses, especially in such an important connection to downtown and transit. In Oklahoma, I'm sure this would have been a non-issue.

As a non-driving pedestrian in this city, I am glad to see this type of concern and action from the community. I welcome improvements in downtown, and sensitive developments that will enhance street life and safety.

wes on wooster.

Posted by: East Rockette | March 20, 2008 7:15 PM

I'm with you guys. Plus, have you ever tried to bike or walk to Ikea or the Post Office? Scary, not just because of the alarming sidewalks but also that no-man's-land vibe. A used car lot/ towing pound would add nothing to that corner. Whereas a small grocery, say, would be a really intelligent use of that space and a great addition to the neighbourhood.

Posted by: Phil | March 20, 2008 7:21 PM

BZA decisions like the purported "special exception" approval are sometimes difficult to understand, and these difficult special exceptions and similarly difficult "variances" seem most frequently to permit otherwise illegal activity opposed by the neighbors.

This special exception would permit a significant increase in auto traffic in a neighborhood also containing elderly housing and an existing and a planned school.

I am glad to see that the BZA seems to have had second thoughts about the appropriateness of this activity.

Posted by: Your Tax Dollars at Work | March 21, 2008 12:39 PM

The Assessor lists "Long Wharf Galleria, LLC" as the owner of 10 Olive. It was acquired about a decade ago when the "Galleria" shopping mall was to have covered the Ikea property and surrounding area. The Brewery St. Post Office was to have been moved to 10 Olive to make way for the mall.

Obviously the ugly Post Office building is not the highest and best for its present location which overlooks Long Island Sound. The City has redevelopment plans for apartments & commercial uses there.

In December the BZA turned down a variance for a towing pound at 10 Olive. The curious special exception for a small used car agency was granted. The small used car business doesn't really make any economic sence. So logic tells us the applicant is planning it as a front for his contemplated towing business. The huge lot next door is already zoned for parking so it could sustain copious towed vehicle storage.

Thankfully, because of Connecticut's totally incomprehensible statutory requirements, the applicant had to come again to City Plan (even though the use was already approved by BZA). City Plan denied "without prejudice." So he can come back again to the next City Plan meeting -- possibly end of April.

Let's hope the City's development people can make some progress to designate 10 Olive for another, more appealing use like a neighborhood compatible retail service business, a bank branch or even a good looking Post Office before then.

Posted by: robn | March 21, 2008 3:45 PM

Eastrockette brings up a good related point...that is the other important (adjacent) threshold site...the coliseum site...to this day i haven't seen any indication that the porposed masterplans acknowledge a very needed pedestrian axis from downtown to the train station/shorefront.

Posted by: Cordalie | March 21, 2008 5:09 PM

Dear East Rockette- Have you used the Vision Trail? If follows the back of the railroad tracks around the back of the post office. We could do a clean up soon. It is overgrown with mugwort.

In spite of its appearance I have seen "pedcommuters" to Ikea using it.

There is a fence down on the post office boundary. I wrote to Leiberman about it and have heard nothing.

New Haven Independent

Wooster Square Keeps Out Used Cars

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